


take on the situation (but not the torment)

by fm1978



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Gen, set a few months after the events of season 1, sisters going through some shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 18:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20971151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fm1978/pseuds/fm1978
Summary: Rian hadn’t seemed the type to start something and not see it through, but Brea was slowly getting used to the disappointment. It seemed she was always the one picking up the pieces.





	take on the situation (but not the torment)

**Author's Note:**

> title from Stevie Nicks' "Think About It"

“Rian’s gone.”

Brea started, jerking her head up from the desk she’d leaned on, just for a few minutes—but through her window, she could see that two of the suns had dipped down below the horizon, the third was close, and she could feel lines on her face from where her books had dug into her cheeks. She must have been out for hours.

Naia was still standing over her, arms crossed in front of her chest. “Did you hear me, princess?”

Brea nodded and cleared her throat. “Yes, sorry. Since when?”

She couldn’t say she was overly surprised to hear the news. At first, Rian had kept himself busy after the battle; he and Gurjin had been occupied with training their new resistance recruits and organizing patrols both in Stone-in-the-Wood and to protect the gelfling who’d been able to return to their own lands. But after a few weeks, it grew harder to get Rian out of bed in the mornings, and even when they got him up he seemed distracted, almost shaken, and she’d caught him staring off at the unnatural woods that had sprung up when Deet disappeared more than once. Still, Rian hadn’t seemed the type to start something and not see it through, but Brea was slowly getting used to the disappointment. It seemed she was always the one picking up the pieces.

“Not sure. He came out for breakfast this morning then went back to his father’s house. Gurjin went looking for him when he didn’t show up for lunch, and nobody’s seen him since this morning.” She paused, and when Brea glanced up from her desk again the Drenchen gelfling’s expression was sheepish. “The All-Maudra has not yet been told.”

“I see.” Brea sighed and picked her pen back up. “I’ll tell her this evening, after I finish answering her correspondence. Could you have some supper sent up?”

“On it,” Naia said. “And thank you, Brea.”

Brea didn’t respond, just glanced back down at the request from the Spriton clan for more resistance protection. Brea was still deciding the best way to explain that there were no more warriors to spare when she heard a knock on the door. “Enter.”

“I came up earlier to tell you supper was ready, but you were dead to the world,” Kylan said, offering her a warm smile as he strode into the room balancing in a tray. “Figured you needed the rest. I did save you a roll, though.”

“Thank you,” Brea said. She cleared a spot in front of her, and he placed the tray down. “Sit with me for a few minutes?”

“Sure.” He pulled up a stool and perched in front of her desk. “What are all those letters?”

“I’m answering them for Seladon. I’m going to deliver them to her tonight, along with the news about Rian.”

“Ah, Naia talked you into being the bearer of bad news?” Kylan said, voice lifting in a teasing lilt.

“Seladon will take it better from me than from anybody else,” Brea said. “Do we have any idea where he’s gone?”

“We couldn’t find a trail. Gurjin and one of the other Stonewood fellows, Isan I think it was, both checked for one right after we realized he was gone, but there was  _ nothing, _ which means he must have covered his tracks. Everyone’s assumed he’s gone after Deet, though.” Kylan frowned. “Stop twirling your pen and eat your stew.”

Brea winced and placed the pen in the drawer. She ate another spoonful, then said, “Sorry. I’m just distracted and worried. I can’t believe that Rian would just leave like this, and Seladon is going to see it as a personal failure that he’s left too, and it’s just. It’s hard right now.”

“It is hard, that’s true. But you know what? She’ll get over it, and we’ll figure everything else out, and it’ll be fine.” Kylan reached out and squeezed the hand that wasn’t holding her stew spoon. “I’ve got to go—last night’s watch heard something big out in the woods, and we aren’t sure if it’s a lost landstrider or something else, so they’ve got a bunch of us for extra patrols.”

“Stay safe out there,” Brea said. “And thank you—for dinner and the company.”

“I plan on staying very close to Naia, so I should be fine,” Kylan said. He gave her another soft smile. “But really, Brea, it’s all going to be all right.  _ You’re  _ going to be fine.”

Brea nodded, managing a weak smile, and soon he was off. She followed not long after him, much to her surprise: writing and research really did go faster on a full stomach. When she stepped out of the library, the temperature had dropped, and she wrapped her shawl tighter around herself, thanking Thra once again that their first Skeksis confrontation had been in the summer. It would’ve been awful to figure out how to shelter everyone from the cold, and although her mountain upbringing had made her  _ used  _ to it, it didn’t mean she  _ liked  _ it. But now fall had truly settled in, and she quickly crossed the village square to what had once been Maudra Fara’s home, where Seladon was currently staying. It was a cozy space, with a plush sofa and carved out fireplace on the far wall. Down the hall was the one large bedroom and bathroom, and on the other side of the house was the kitchen. Brea entered quietly, and was surprised to see her sister draped across the large couch, the fire burning low. Her fringe was askew from being under her circlet all day, and the circlet itself was resting on the low table in front of her, next to a half empty goblet of wine.

“Seladon? Are you—can we talk?”

Seladon opened her eyes and glanced up at her. After a moment, she nodded and waved a hand. Brea took it as permission to sit down beside her and continue.

“I’ve got some news.” Brea found her sister’s silence slightly unnerving, but pressed on. “Rian is gone. We think he’s left to go after Deet.”

There was another long pause before Seladon picked up her glass and drained the rest of her wine. She set it back down on the table, and leaned further back, pinching the bridge of her nose. She sighed. “Brea, I’m so tired.”

“I know you are,” Brea said. Seladon both sounded and looked exhausted: she was pale, making the dark circles under her eyes stand out in stark relief, and her posture seemed weaker than usual. Tavra had said once that Brea got all the smarts, she got all the strength, but it was Seladon who had the  _ presence _ , the conviction, the aura of a ruler. Right now she just seemed stretched thin.

_ Tavra would’ve known how to fix this, _ part of Brea thought--the selfish part, that in her weaker moments wished she still had the sister who was easier to get along with. But realistically, Tavra would’ve been just as lost as Seladon and her were. None of them had been trained for this.

“I’m a terrible All—Brea, you know they don’t have faith in me like they did our mother,” Seladon said before she could open her mouth to argue. “You know I don’t inspire that kind of loyalty.”

“Maybe not,” Brea conceded. “But they didn’t love our mother when she first became Maudra either. Just give it time. You’re doing a wonderful job.”

“I’ve already failed in more ways than mother ever did. Fara’s dead, we can’t go back to Ha’rar, Aughra left us, and now Rian as well?” She shook her head, chuckling self-deprecatingly. “My mistakes are numerous and glorious.”

“None of those things were your fault.” Brea paused and straightened up enough to wrap an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “I promise you that nobody blames you.”

Seladon didn’t immediately respond, but instead leaned further into her hug. Her voice was thick when she spoke again. “I’ll try and believe you.”

“That’s all I can ask,” Brea whispered, squeezing her tighter.

“Is there any other business we need to discuss for tonight?” Seladon asked.

It was Brea’s turn to be quiet, as she remembered the stack of letters on the desk, the recommendation from Gurjin to start rationing food in case the Darkening started affecting their crops, the fact that the ambassador they sent to the podlings hadn’t been heard from since he left. It would all keep. “No,” Brea said. “You should rest.”


End file.
